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Creative Craftsmanship

With 20 years experience in the interior-design and furniture-making businesses, there’s no project too difficult forPisar Designfounder and craftsman Roman Pisar.

In the case of the Bighorn project commissioned by interior-design studioBonesteel Trout Hall, Pisar wasn’t given a clear directive for the seven pieces of furniture he was asked to create. “They only said what pieces they wanted, and it was up to me to create that feeling that I thought the client would want,” Pisar says. Though that freedom might scare some designers, Pisar says that he enjoys the process. “It was easier that way, because I had my own creations the way I wanted to make them.”

Independence is one of the key traits that define Pisar’s business, Pisar Design, which he owns and operates with wife Catherine. Not only do they craft every piece of furniture without the help of any assistants, but they often take on other aspects of design as well. “It’s a one-man show,” he says. “We do everything by ourselves, from the paper and drawing all the way to the completion of the job—everything you can imagine being involved, we do the project from A–Z.”

For the Bighorn residence, one of the most stunning examples of Pisar’s work is the sizeable arched doors, which were loosely based on similar ones that the client had in her previous home. He imported heavy eucalyptus jarrah wood from Australia and old-world hardware from England to create a grand, substantial piece of woodwork. The same level of attention to detail and care was taken with the crafting of a coffee table, which was made from reclaimed wood from Oklahoma barns and mills. “You’re building something with 150-year-old wood and using this old-world style to make it,” Pisar says, “so it looks really authentic.”

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Design Bureau delivers honest and inspirational global dialogue on design from diverse disciplines and points of view. It gathers people like you—creative professionals, style arbiters and industry leaders—and connects you with a like-minded community of design enthusiasts across the world with one common idea: discovering great design and the people who make it happen. Published in Chicago by ALARM Press.

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